Bulldogs and Falcons games, Fourth of July and Labor Day holidays, birthdays and family reunions deserve a magnificent setting. Quality family time and business entertainment both need the proper foundation to carry it off. It isn't just in stone or brick flooring, a fireplace or a fire pit, luxurious furniture and steaks grilling. It's in the breeze in the trees, the sound of birds singing and kids playing along with the fountain chuckling. Added together, all these make Atlanta outdoor living worthwhile.

Adding a deck to your home can make your outdoor spaces more functional than ever before. With a deck, you will have a space to host summer barbeques, or to simply relax and enjoy the sun. However, upon making the decision to add a deck to your home, you will have to decide what type of deck you want. While traditionally decks have been constructed out of wood, a popular choice being cedar decks, recent years has seen a rise in the popularity of composite, synthetic decking materials. The fact is that while wood was popular for its timeless beauty, there are a variety of functional benefits that synthetic decks provide that makes them the more practical option for many homeowners. If you are considering adding a deck to your home, here are just a few of the benefits choosing a synthetic deck could provide you with.

Patios provide homeowners with outdoor living space and added home value. Plus, because they're made of durable materials such as stone and brick, they don't tend to require as much maintenance as other outdoor structures, such as decks. This isn't to say that patios are 100% maintenance-free, however. There are a few steps all homeowners should take to keep their patios safe and looking great all year round.

Enjoying your porch all yearlong can be much easier when you have the addition of a fireplace and the porch itself is screened in. Whilescreened porches with fireplaces have plenty of great benefits due to their weather-resistance, it’s still important that you look into how to best care for the fireplace.

Updating your home with a new deck or patio is exciting. The thoughts of sitting out on your new deck when the weather is mild bring relaxation to mind. You will enjoy the many times of cooking out, having a get-together or celebrating with family and friends once your new deck or patio is constructed. Not only is this a place to make memories, but it adds value to your home as well. Part of the process for constructing your deck involves selecting materials, deciding on a style, and figuring out the size. However, another important step is hiring your deck contractor to design and construct your new space.

For almost 20 years, DeckSouth has been the premier designer and builder of custom decks, porches and patios for the Metro Atlanta area and surrounding counties. During that time, it’s been our privilege to complete more than 2,000 projects. For us, each one of these projects has been more than simply “adding on” to a home. Much more. It’s about building an exquisitely beautiful structure that meets the demanding expectations of our customers for both Old World craftsmanship and new innovative technology.

Now, to help people enjoy their home outdoor living space even more, we’re proud to introduce Advance Outdoor Living. Backed by the DeckSouth pledge of Guaranteed Satisfaction, this new company will offer a range of services, including mosquito control systems and sophisticated outdoor lighting, all designed to make each home’s patio, deck, or porch even more comfortable and appealing.

Outdoor living is a lifestyle that people love. So whether you’re a previous client or a new customer, we invite you to explore the new possibilities now available through Advance Outdoor Living—just another example of what we call the DeckSouth Difference.

This customer came to us with a dream of having a covered area that the family can spend time together outside. During the design process we decided to create a screened area with a fireplace and an ajoining area that is uncovered. Slate tile on the inside of the porch creates a finsihed room feel with a tounge and groove ceiling. On the open porch area exposed rafters give the space a more rustic look.

On the open deck the Trex Transcend synthetic decking creates a low maintenace area that will look great for years. Below the deck is an integrated watertight system that allows the new flagstone patio to remain dry. the tounge and groove ceiling on the deck ties the entire project together.

In the previous Decksouth blog, we talked about how to clean your deck. Now let’s take a look at the next step: sealing your deck, starting with these three key questions.

First, does your deck need to be sealed?

Try this simple test: When you wet down the deck with a hose, does the water bead? If it does, you probably don’t need to seal the deck at this time.

What kind of finish to use: Clear, Semi-Transparent or Solid?

There are two basic types of deck finishes: sealers and stains. Sealers are clear and have no color. Stains are either semi-transparent (just a little color or “tone” added) or solid colors. There are advantages for each type of finish.

Using a clear finish allows the natural grain of the wood to shine through. It’s also easier to apply because it doesn’t leave any lap marks during application. If you want more protection from UV rays, however, consider using a solid-color or semi-transparent finish. A solid-color finish offers the most protection against the sun, but it needs to be formulated specifically for decks, or it won’t be able to handle the foot traffic. Whatever your choice, make sure that the product is water-repellent, has a mildewcide and protects against UV rays. Some products only repel water.

Oil-based or Water-based?

This is a choice between effectiveness and convenience. An oil-based finish penetrates the wood to provide more protection, but a water-based finish is easier to clean up and is more forgiving if there’s any moisture in the wood.

We are a deck builder located in Marietta, GA who specializes in custom decks, porches and patios servicing Alpharetta, Atlanta, Roswell, Johns Creek, Norcross, Marietta, Suwanee, Sandy Springs, Cumming, Milton, and Dunwoody, GA including Gwinett County, Cobb County, Fulton County, Forsyth County, and Dekalb County. For 15 years we have been creating outdoor living spaces using hardwood decking, composite decking, pvc decking, cap stock synthetic decking, and KDAT pressure treated decking.